Triton International Limited (TRTN-PB) 10-K2021 Q1 Annual report

All forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Triton's control. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements and, therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements. These factors include, without limitation, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory conditions and the following:

Triton is the world's largest lessor of intermodal containers. Intermodal containers are large, standardized steel boxes used to transport freight by ship, rail or truck. Because of the handling efficiencies they provide, intermodal containers are the primary means by which many goods and materials are shipped internationally. We also lease chassis, which are used for the transportation of containers.

Our consolidated operations include the acquisition, leasing, re-leasing and subsequent sale of multiple types of intermodal containers and chassis. As of December 31, 2023, our total fleet consisted of 4.0 million containers and chassis, representing 6.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units ("TEU") or 7.6 million cost equivalent units ("CEU"). We have an extensive global presence offering leasing services through a worldwide network of local offices and utilize third-party container depots spread across 46 countries to provide customers global access to our container fleet. Our primary customers include the world's largest container shipping lines. Our global field operations include sales, operations, equipment resale, and logistics services. Our registered office is located in Bermuda.

On September 28, 2023, we completed the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 11, 2023 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (“BIPC”), Thanos Holdings Limited (“Parent”) and Thanos MergerSub Limited, a subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the Statutory Merger Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2023, by and among the Company, BIPC, Parent and Merger Sub (the "Statutory Merger Agreement"), Merger Sub merged with and into Triton (the “Merger”), with Triton surviving the Merger as a subsidiary of Parent.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each common share of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than certain excluded common shares), was cancelled and automatically converted into the right to receive, at the election of each shareholder, (x) mixed consideration of $68.50 in cash and 0.3895 Class A exchangeable subordinate voting shares (“BIPC Shares”) of BIPC, (y) all-cash consideration in an amount equivalent in value to the mixed consideration, which was equal to approximately $83.16, or (z) all-BIPC Share consideration in an amount equivalent in value to the mixed consideration, which was equal to approximately 2.21 BIPC Shares (the “Merger Consideration”). The number of BIPC Shares issued in exchange for each common share was subject to a collar mechanism set forth in the Merger Agreement, which was based on the weighted average price of BIPC Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) over the 10 consecutive trading days ending on the second trading day prior to the effective time of the Merger (the “BIPC Final Share Price”). The BIPC Final Share Price was approximately $37.64.

In connection with the closing of the Merger, our common shares were delisted from the NYSE on September 28, 2023. The last trading day for the common shares on the NYSE was September 27, 2023. On October 10, 2023, we filed a certification on Form 15 with the SEC requesting the deregistration of our common shares under the Exchange Act. Our Series A-E cumulative redeemable perpetual preference shares remained outstanding as an obligation of the Company and continued to be listed on the NYSE following the closing of the Merger.

Intermodal containers provide a secure and cost-effective method of transporting raw materials, component parts and finished goods because they can be used in multiple modes of transport. By making it possible to move cargo from a point of origin to a final destination without repeated unpacking and repacking, containers reduce freight and labor costs. In addition, automated handling of containers permits faster loading and unloading of vessels, more efficient utilization of transportation equipment and reduced transit time. The protection provided by sealed containers also reduces cargo damage and the loss and theft of goods during shipment.

Container leasing companies maintain inventories of new and used containers in a wide range of worldwide locations and supply these containers primarily to shipping line customers under a variety of short and long-term lease structures. We

Leasing containers helps shipping lines improve their container fleet efficiency and provides shipping lines with an alternative source of equipment financing. Given the uncertainty and variability of export volumes, and the fact that shipping lines have difficulty in accurately forecasting their container requirements on a day-by-day, port-by-port basis, the availability of containers for lease on short notice reduces shipping lines' need to purchase and maintain larger container inventory buffers. In addition, the drop-off flexibility provided by operating leases also allows the shipping lines to adjust their container fleet sizes and the mix of container types in their fleets both seasonally and over time and helps balance their trade flows.

Spot leasing rates are typically a function of, among other things, new equipment prices (which are heavily influenced by steel prices), interest rates and the equipment supply and demand balance at a particular time and location. Average leasing rates on an entire portfolio of leases respond more gradually to changes in new equipment prices or changes in the balance of container supply and demand because lease agreements are generally only re-priced upon the expiration of the lease. The value that lessors receive upon resale of equipment is closely related to the cost of new equipment.

Intermodal containers are designed to meet a number of criteria outlined by the International Standards Organization (ISO). The standard criteria include the size of the container and the gross weight rating of the container. This standardization ensures that containers can be used by the widest possible number of transporters and it facilitates container and vessel sharing by the shipping lines. The standardization of the container is also an important element of the container leasing business since we can operate one fleet of containers that can be used by all of our major customers.

We operate our business in one industry, intermodal transportation equipment, and have two business segments, which also represent our reporting segments:

Most of our revenues are derived from leasing our equipment to our core shipping line customers. The majority of our leases are structured as operating leases, though we also provide customers with finance leases. Regardless of the lease type, we seek to exceed our targeted return on our investments over the life cycle of the equipment by managing utilization, lease rates, and the used equipment sale process.

     

Our lease products provide numerous operational and financial benefits to our shipping line customers. These benefits include:

We categorize our operating leases as either long-term leases or service leases. Some leases have contractual terms that have features reflective of both long-term and service leases. We classify such leases as either long-term or service leases, depending upon which features we believe are predominant. For example, some leases that provide redelivery flexibility during the lease term are classified as long-term leases in cases where lessees have made large upfront payments to reduce their lease payment during the lease term or in cases where lessees will incur significant redelivery fees if containers are returned during the lease term. Such leases are generally considered to be long-term leases based on the expected on-hire time and the economic protection achieved by the lease economics. Our long-term leases generally require our customers to maintain specific units on-hire for the duration of the lease term, and they provide us with predictable recurring cash flow. Long-term leases typically have initial contractual terms ranging from five to eight or more years.

We also have expired long-term leases whose fixed terms have ended but for which the related units remain on-hire and for which we continue to receive rental payments pursuant to the terms of the initial contract.

Service leases allow our customers to pick-up and drop-off equipment during the term of the lease, subject to contractual limitations. Service leases provide the customer with a higher level of flexibility than long-term leases and, as a result, typically carry a higher per diem rate. The terms of our service leases can range from 12 months to five years, though because equipment can be returned during the term of a service lease and since service leases are generally renewed or modified and extended upon expiration, lease term does not dictate expected on-hire time for our equipment on service leases.

The following table provides a summary of our equipment lease portfolio by lease type, based on CEU as of December 31, 2023:

As of December 31, 2023, our long-term and finance leases combined had a weighted average remaining contractual term by CEU of approximately 55 months assuming no leases are renewed. In addition, even without lease renewal, our equipment on operating leases typically remains on-hire at the contractual per diem rate for an additional six to twelve months beyond the end of the contractual lease term due to monthly drop-off volume limitations and the logistical requirements in our leases that require our customers to return the containers and chassis to specific drop-off locations.

We believe that managing the period after our equipment's first lease is the most important aspect of our business. Successful management of this period requires disciplined logistics management, extensive re-lease capability, careful cost control and effective sales of used equipment.

In addition, we attempt to minimize the costs of any container imbalances by finding local users in surplus locations and by moving empty containers as inexpensively as possible. While we believe we manage our logistics risks and costs effectively, logistical risk remains an important element of our business due to competitive pressures, changing trade patterns and other market factors and uncertainties.

Depot facilities are generally responsible for repairing our containers and chassis when they are returned by lessees and for storing the equipment while it is off-hire. We have a global operations group that is responsible for managing our depot relationships and they also regularly visit the depot facilities to conduct inventory and repair audits. We also supplement our internal operations group with the use of independent inspection agents.

Our leases are generally structured so that the lessee is responsible for the customer damage portion of the repair costs, and customers are billed for damages at the time the equipment is returned. We sometimes offer our customers a repair service program whereby we, for an additional payment by the lessee (in the form of a higher per-diem rate or a flat fee at off-hire),

The sale prices we receive for our used containers are influenced by many factors, including the level of demand for used containers compared to the number of used containers available for disposal in a particular location, the cost of new containers, and the level of damage on the containers. While our total revenue is primarily made up of leasing revenues, gains or losses on the sale of used containers can have a significant positive or negative impact on our profitability.

We have an extensive global presence, offering leasing services through 21 offices and 2 independent agencies located in 15 countries.

Our customers are mainly international shipping lines, though we also lease containers to freight forwarding companies and manufacturers. We believe that we have strong, long-standing relationships with our largest customers, most of whom we have done business with for more than 30 years. Our twenty largest customers account for 85% of our lease billings. The shipping industry has been consolidating for a number of years, and further consolidation could increase the portion of our revenues that come from our largest customers. A default by one of our major customers could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and future prospects.

Our global marketing team and our customer service representatives are responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with senior operations staff at our shipping line customers, supporting lease negotiations and maintaining day-to-day coordination with junior level staff at our customers. This enables us to provide customers with a high level of service, helps us to finalize lease contracts that satisfy our customers' operating needs, ensures that we are aware of our customers' potential equipment requirements, and provides customers knowledge of our available equipment inventories.

We monitor our customers' performance and our lease exposures on an ongoing basis. Our credit management processes are aided by the long payment experience we have with most of our customers and our broad network of relationships in the shipping industry that provides current information about our customers' market reputations. Credit criteria may include, but are not limited to, customer payment history, customer financial position and performance (e.g., net worth, leverage, and profitability), trade routes, country of domicile and the type of, and location of, equipment that is to be supplied.

We compete with at least five other major intermodal equipment leasing companies in addition to many smaller lessors, manufacturers of intermodal equipment, and companies offering finance leases as distinct from operating leases. It is common for our customers to utilize several leasing companies to meet their equipment needs.

Our competitors compete with us in many ways, including lease pricing, lease flexibility, supply reliability and customer service. In times of weak demand or excess supply, leasing companies often respond by lowering leasing rates and increasing the logistical flexibility offered in their lease agreements. In addition, new entrants into the leasing business are often aggressive on pricing and lease flexibility. Furthermore, customers also have the option to purchase intermodal equipment and utilize owned equipment instead of leasing, relying on their own fleets to satisfy their intermodal equipment needs and even

While we are forced to compete aggressively on price, we attempt to emphasize our supply reliability and high level of customer service to our customers. We invest heavily to ensure adequate equipment availability in high demand locations, dedicate large portions of our organization to building customer relationships and maintaining close day-to-day coordination with customers' operating staffs, and have developed self-service systems that allow our customers to transact with us through the Internet.

We have long-standing relationships with all of our major suppliers. We purchase most of our equipment from third-party manufacturers based in China. The container manufacturing industry is highly concentrated, with the largest manufacturers accounting for substantially all of the global production volume. Our procurement and engineering staff reviews the designs for our containers and periodically audits the production facilities of our suppliers. In addition, we use our procurement and engineering group and third-party inspectors to visit factories when our containers are being produced to provide an extra layer of quality control. Nevertheless, defects in our containers sometimes occur. We work with the manufacturers to correct these defects, and our manufacturers have generally honored their warranty obligations in such cases.

The efficient operation of our business is highly dependent on our information technology systems to track transactions, bill customers and provide the information needed to report our financial results. Our systems allow customers to facilitate sales orders and drop-off requests on the Internet, view current inventories and check contractual terms in effect with respect to any given container lease agreement. Our systems also maintain a database, which accounts for the containers in our fleet and our leasing agreements, processes leasing and sale transactions, and bills our customers for their use of and damage to our containers. We also use the information provided by these systems in our day-to-day business to make business decisions and improve our operations and customer service.

We are subject to various business impacts associated with environmental regulations, including potential liability due to accidental discharge from our containers, potential equipment obsolescence or retrofitting expenses due to changes in environmental regulations, and increased risk of container performance problems due to container design changes driven by environmental factors. These risks are particularly significant for our refrigerated container product line, as environmental regulations have targeted the global warming potential of chemical refrigerants and the blowing agent historically used in the insulation for refrigerated containers. Refrigerated container manufacturers have also changed the treatment process for the steel frame of refrigerated containers in a way that may lead to increased corrosion.

While we maintain environmental liability insurance coverage, and the terms of our leases and other arrangements for use of our containers place the responsibility for environmental liability on the end user, we still may be subject to environmental liability in connection with our current or historical operations. In certain countries like the United States, the owner of a leased container may be liable for the costs of environmental damage from the discharge of the contents of the container even though the owner is not at fault. Our lessees are required to indemnify us from environmental claims and our standard master tank container lease agreement contains an insurance clause that requires our tank container lessees to carry pollution liability insurance.

Our operations are also subject to regulations promulgated in various countries, including the United States, seeking to protect the integrity of international commerce and prevent the use of equipment for international terrorism or other illicit activities, as well as regulations implementing equipment safety measures. As these regulations develop and change, we may incur increased compliance costs due to the acquisition of new, compliant equipment and/or the adaptation of existing equipment to meet new requirements imposed by such regulations. Violations of these rules and regulations can also result in

We are subject to numerous risks inherent in conducting business across national boundaries, any one of which could adversely impact our business. Several of these risks are discussed in more detail throughout this Risk Factors section. These risks include, but are not limited to:

Our ability to enforce lessees’ obligations will be subject to applicable law in the jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. As containers are used in international commerce, it is not possible to predict, with any degree of certainty, the jurisdictions in which enforcement proceedings may be commenced. For example, repossession from defaulting lessees may be difficult and more expensive in jurisdictions in which laws do not confer the same security interests and rights to creditors and lessors as those in the United States and in other jurisdictions where recovery of containers from defaulting lessees is more cumbersome. As a result, the costs, relative success and expedience of collecting receivables or pursuing enforcement proceedings with respect to containers in various jurisdictions cannot be predicted. Any one or more of these or other factors could adversely affect our current or future international operations and business.

Overall demand for containers depends largely on the rate of world trade and economic growth. Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including significant downturns in global economic growth, recessionary conditions in major geographic regions, inflation and attempts to control inflation, changes to fiscal and monetary policy, and higher interest rates, can negatively affect container demand and lessors' decisions to lease containers. During economic downturns and periods of reduced trade, shipping lines tend to use and lease fewer containers, or lease containers only at reduced rates, and tend to rely more on their own fleets to satisfy a greater percentage of their requirements. As a result, during periods of weak global economic activity or reduced trade, container lessors typically experience decreased leasing demand, decreased equipment utilization, lower average rental rates, decreased leasing revenue, decreased used container resale prices and significantly decreased profitability.

The impacts of global and regional economic downturns and other adverse macroeconomic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability and cash flows.

The international nature of our business and the container shipping industry exposes us to risks relating to the imposition of import and export duties, quotas and tariffs. These risks have increased over the last several years as the United States and other countries have adopted protectionist trade policies and as companies look to on-shoring or near-shoring their production to address material and parts shortages and/or increased costs due to these actions. In recent years, trade disputes between the United States and China have led both countries to impose tariffs on imported goods from the other, resulting in periods of decreased trade growth and demand for leased containers. Significant uncertainty remains about the future relationship between the United States and China as tariffs and other trade barriers remain historically high, other key areas of economic and foreign

A substantial portion of our containers are leased out from locations in China and we have several customers that are domiciled in China. The main manufacturers of containers are also located in China.

As a result, the political and economic policies of China and the level of economic activity in China may have a significant impact on our business and financial performance. For example, changes in laws and policies in China, which could be enacted with little notice, such as restrictions on private enterprise or foreign investment, the introduction of measures to control inflation, changes in the rate or method of taxation, and the imposition of additional restrictions on currency conversion or remittances abroad could significantly impact business investment and exports in China. Additionally, government policies that reduce the emphasis on manufacturing and increase priorities for domestic consumption and services may alter trade patterns and reduce demand for containers in China. Chinese government environmental laws and regulations may increase the cost of manufacturing in China, leading to reduced exports and decreased container demand. Additionally, the imposition of policies aimed at controlling future disease outbreaks, similar to those enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, may reduce manufacturing activity and exports and lead to logistical disruptions in global shipping. Changes in China’s laws and regulations could also impact the cost and availability of new containers from the container manufacturers in China. These factors could have a significant negative effect on our customers, the cost and availability of new containers and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

In addition, a geo-political conflict involving China could significantly reduce global economic activity and trade and have a material adverse effect on our business given the large share of global exports, container manufacturing and container lease-outs represented by China.

Given the nature of our and our customers’ business and global operations, political, economic and other conditions in major regions, including geopolitical conflicts such as the current war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, may adversely affect us. For example, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in economic and trade disruptions, as well as a significant humanitarian crisis. The conflict has led to significant stress on the global economy, as well as economic sanctions and trade controls being placed on Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, limitations on Russian and Belorussian banks' and entities' ability to access international payment systems, port restrictions on Russian ships and decisions to suspend service to Russia and alter certain routes by several major ocean carriers. More recently, attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea related to the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas have caused significant disruptions to trade routes in the region, which may be prolonged. While we do not have any employees or Company facilities in any of these major conflict areas, the extent and duration of military conflicts, resulting sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, shipping bans or disruptions, increased cybersecurity risks, escalation of hostilities and the effects of the conflicts on our customers and the global economy, including increased on-shoring and near-shoring, reduced global trade, heightened inflation and any other related economic or market disruptions, are impossible to predict, but could be substantial, particularly if they persist for an extended period of time or if geopolitical tensions result in expanded military conflict. These factors may negatively impact our business and results of operations.

The container leasing and sales business is highly competitive. We compete with several other major leasing companies, many smaller container lessors, equipment financing companies, and manufacturers of container equipment, who sometimes lease and finance containers directly with our shipping line customers. Some of these competitors may have greater financial resources and access to capital than us and may have lower investment return expectations. Additionally, some of these competitors may, at times, accumulate a high volume of underutilized inventories of containers, which could lead to significant downward pressure on lease rates and margins. As market conditions evolve, we may see new competition entering the market.

Competition among container leasing companies involves many factors, including, among others, lease rates, lease terms (including lease duration, and drop-off and repair provisions), customer service, and the location, availability, quality and individual characteristics of equipment. In addition, new technologies and the expansion of existing technologies, such as digitalization and expanded online services, may increase competitive pressures in our industry. The highly competitive nature of our industry may reduce our lease rates and margins and undermine our ability to maintain our current level of container utilization or achieve our growth plans.

We, like other suppliers of leased containers, are dependent upon decisions by shipping lines to lease rather than buy their container equipment. Should shipping lines decide to buy a larger percentage of the containers they operate, our utilization rate would decrease, resulting in decreased leasing revenues, increased storage costs and increased repositioning costs. A significant decrease in the portion of leased containers operated by shipping lines would also reduce our investment opportunities and significantly constrain our growth. Most of the factors affecting the lease versus buy decisions of our customers, including their operational and capital allocation priorities are outside of our control and may change from year to year.

Market leasing rates have historically varied widely and changed suddenly. Market leasing rates are typically a function of, among other things, new equipment prices (which are heavily influenced by steel prices), interest rates, the type and length of the lease, the equipment supply and demand balance at a particular time and location, and other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.

A decrease in market leasing rates negatively impacts the leasing rates on both new container investments and the existing containers in our fleet. Most of our existing containers are on operating leases, with lease terms shorter than the expected life of the container, thus the lease rate we receive for the container is subject to change at the expiration of the current lease. The profitability impact of decreasing lease rates on existing containers can be particularly severe since it leads to a reduction in revenue with no corresponding reduction in investment or expenses.

Our containers and chassis are leased to numerous customers, who are responsible to pay lease rentals and other charges, including repair fees and costs for damage to or loss of equipment. Some of our customers are privately owned and do not provide detailed financial information regarding their operations. Our customers could incur financial difficulties, or otherwise have difficulty making payments to us when due for any number of factors which we may be unable to anticipate. A delay or diminution in amounts received under the leases, or a default in the performance of our lessees' obligations under the leases could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and our ability to make payments on our debt.

In addition, when lessees default, we may fail to recover all of our equipment, and the equipment we do recover may be returned in damaged condition or to locations where we may not be able to efficiently re-lease or sell the equipment. As a result, we may have to repair our equipment and reposition it to other locations and we may lose lease revenues and incur significant operating expenses. We also often incur extra costs when repossessing containers from a defaulting lessee. These costs typically arise when our lessee has also defaulted on payments owed to container terminals or depot facilities where the repossessed containers are located. In such cases, the terminal or depot facility may delay or bar us from taking possession of our containers or sometimes seek to have us repay a portion of the lessee's unpaid bills as a condition to releasing the containers back to us.

Historically, the container shipping industry has been characterized by recurring periods of excess vessel capacity and weak financial performance. While our customers experienced significantly improved profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic, declining shipping demand and freight rates that began in the second half of 2022 and continued throughout 2023 have adversely affected their recent financial performance, which conditions may continue or worsen in the future. In addition, the potential impact of a customer default has increased due to the large volume of high-priced containers purchased and leased out in 2021. Also, following the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. in 2016, it has become more difficult and expensive to

Our five largest customers represent approximately 60% of our lease billings. Furthermore, the shipping industry has been consolidating for a number of years, and further consolidation could increase the portion of our revenues that come from our largest customers. Given the high concentration of our customer base, a default by or a significant reduction in future lease transactions with any of our major customers could materially reduce our leasing revenues, profitability, liquidity and growth prospects.

The vast majority of intermodal containers are currently manufactured in China, and we currently purchase substantially all of our equipment from third-party manufacturers based there. In addition, the container manufacturing industry in China is highly concentrated. In the event that it were to become more difficult or more expensive for us to procure containers in China because of further consolidation among container suppliers, reduced production or production disruptions by our suppliers, increased tariffs imposed by the United States or other governments, pandemic lockdowns and other restrictions, regional instability, or for any other reason, we may be unable to fully pass these increased costs through to our customers in the form of higher lease rates and we may not be able to adequately invest in and grow our container fleet.

Additionally, we may face significant challenges in the event of disputes with container manufacturers due to the limited number of potential alternative suppliers and higher uncertainty of outcomes for commercial disputes in China. Such disputes could involve manufacturers’ warranties or manufacturers’ ability and willingness to comply with key terms of our purchase agreements such as container quantities, container quality, delivery timing and price.

We obtain warranties from the manufacturers of equipment that we purchase. When defects in the containers occur, we work with the manufacturers to identify and rectify the problems. However, there is no assurance that manufacturers will be willing or able to honor warranty obligations. In addition, manufacturers’ warranties typically do not cover the full expected life of our containers. If the manufacturer is unwilling or unable to honor warranties covering failures occurring within the warranty period or if defects are discovered in containers that are no longer covered by manufacturers' warranties, we could be required to expend significant amounts of money to repair the containers, the useful lives of the containers could be shortened and the value of the containers reduced.

Several key container components and manufacturing processes have undergone changes over the last several years, in many cases due to environmental concerns. These changes include, but are not limited to, the following:

These changes have not yet proven their durability over the typical 12 to 15 year life of a container in a marine environment. In addition, due to increased container demand during the COVID 19 pandemic as a result of global supply chain disruptions, manufacturers significantly accelerated their rate of production in order to keep pace with demand. The impact of these and future changes in manufacturing processes or materials on the quality and durability of our equipment is uncertain and may result in increased costs to maintain or a significant reduction in the useful life of the equipment.

Under our lease agreements, lessees are responsible for many obligations, including maintaining the equipment while on-hire and for payment for damage to equipment beyond normal wear at the end of the lease term. Improper use or handling of our equipment, failure to perform required maintenance during the lease term or other damage caused to our equipment while on lease could result in substantial damage to our equipment and the assessment of significant repair charges to our lessees at the end of the lease term. Disputes with lessees over their responsibility for repair costs could require us to incur significant unplanned maintenance and repair expenses upon the termination of the applicable lease to restore the equipment to an acceptable condition prior to re-leasing or sale. A significant failure by our lessees to meet their obligations to maintain our equipment or pay for damage could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and cash flows.

Although our revenues primarily depend upon equipment leasing, our profitability is also affected by the gains or losses we realize on the sale of used containers because, in the ordinary course of our business, we sell certain containers when they are returned by customers upon lease expiration. The volatility of the selling prices and gains or losses from the disposal of such equipment can be significant. Used container selling prices, which can vary substantially, depend upon, among other factors, the cost of new containers, the global supply and demand balance for containers generally, the location of the containers, the supply and demand balance for used containers at a particular location, the physical condition of the container and related refurbishment needs, materials and labor costs and obsolescence of certain equipment or technology. Most of these factors are outside of our control.

Containers are typically sold if it is in our best interest to do so after taking into consideration local and global leasing and sale market conditions and the age, location and physical condition of the container. As these considerations vary, gains or losses on sale of equipment will also fluctuate and any such losses may be significant if we sell large quantities of containers below our estimated residual values. This could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.

The profitability of our equipment trading activities has varied widely. Our ability to sustain a high level of equipment trading profitability will require securing large volumes of additional trading equipment and continuing to achieve high selling margins. Several factors could limit our trading volumes. Shipping lines that have sold containers to us could develop other means for disposing of their equipment or develop their own sales networks. In addition, we may limit our purchases if we have concerns that used container selling prices might decrease. Our equipment trading results would also be negatively impacted by a reduction in our selling margins resulting from increased competition for purchasing trading containers or decreased sales prices. If sales prices rapidly deteriorate and we hold a large inventory of equipment that was purchased when prices for equipment were higher, we may incur significant trading losses.

We have senior executives and other management level employees with extensive industry experience. We rely on this knowledge and experience in our strategic planning and in our day-to-day business operations. Our success depends in large part upon our ability to retain our senior management, the loss of one or more of whom could have a material adverse effect on our business. Our success also depends on our ability to retain our experienced sales team and technical personnel, as well as to recruit new skilled sales, marketing and technical and other support personnel. Competition for experienced managers in our industry can be intense. If we fail to retain and recruit the necessary personnel, our business and our ability to retain customers and provide acceptable levels of customer service could suffer.

We are dependent on third-party depot operators to repair and store our equipment in port areas throughout the world. At times, particularly during times of decreasing fleet utilization, we may experience limited depot capacity and a refusal by certain depots to accept additional containers due to space constraints. For example, as a result of reduced trade levels and resulting lower demand for shipping containers following the subsiding of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced periods of storage capacity shortages in a number of important locations in China, North Europe and the West Coast of the United States.

Additionally, in certain locations, the land occupied by depots is increasingly being considered as prime real estate due to its coastal location. As a result, existing depot locations may be redeveloped for other uses or become subject to increasing restrictions on operations by local communities and may be forced to relocate to sites further from the port areas. These factors have and may continue to impact available depot capacity, increase the cost of depot storage and repairs and increase the operational complexity of managing our business.

An asset impairment charge may result from the occurrence of an adverse change in market conditions, unexpected adverse events or management decisions that impact our estimates of expected cash flows generated from our long-lived assets. We review our long-lived assets, including our container and chassis equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets, for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. We may be required to recognize asset impairment charges in the future as a result of reductions in demand for specific container and chassis types, a weak economic environment, challenging market conditions, events related to particular customers or asset types, or as a result of asset or portfolio sale decisions by management. The likelihood that we could incur asset impairment charges increases during periods of low new container prices, low market lease rates and low used container selling prices.

In addition, while used container selling prices are currently above our estimated residual values, they are extremely volatile and if disposal prices fall below our residual values for an extended period, we would likely need to revise our estimates for residual values. Decreasing estimates for residual values would result in an immediate impairment charge on containers older than the estimated useful life in our depreciation calculations and would result in increased depreciation expense for all of our other containers in subsequent periods. Asset impairment charges could significantly impact our profitability and could potentially cause us to breach the financial covenants contained in some or all of our debt agreements. The impact of asset impairment charges and a potential covenant default could be severe.

When lessees return equipment to locations where supply exceeds demand, containers are routinely repositioned to higher demand areas. Positioning expenses vary depending on geographic location, distance, freight rates and other factors. Positioning expenses can be significant if a large portion of our containers are returned to locations with weak demand. We seek to limit the number of containers that can be returned to areas where demand is not expected to be strong. However, future market conditions may not enable us to continue such practices. In addition, we may not be successful in accurately anticipating which port locations will be characterized by weak or strong demand in the future, and current contracts will not provide much protection against positioning costs if ports that are expected to be strong demand ports turn out to be low demand ports when the equipment is returned. In particular, many of our lease contracts are structured so that most containers will be returned to areas with current strong demand, especially major ports in China. If the economy in China continues to evolve in a way that leads to less focus on manufacturing and exports and more focus on consumer spending, imports and services, we may face large positioning costs in the future to relocate containers dropped off into China.

Public health crises, such as pandemics and disease outbreaks, have resulted in and may continue to result in significant impacts to businesses and supply chains globally. For example, the initial outbreak of COVID-19 led to the imposition of work, social and travel restrictions and a significant decrease in global economic activity and global trade. During this time, we faced increased business continuity and customer credit risks and experienced decreasing profitability, utilization, market leasing rates and used container sale prices and reduced container demand. A future pandemic or other public health crisis, depending on duration and severity, could materially adversely impact the global economy and our industry, operations and financial condition and performance.

Catastrophic natural events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or fires, or other events, such as chemical explosions or other industrial accidents could lead to extensive damage to our equipment, significant disruptions to trade and reduced demand for containers. In addition, the potential effects of climate change could worsen the frequency and severity of natural events and change weather patterns, posing increased risks of economic instability and extensive disruptions to world trade. The incidence, severity and consequences of any of these events are unpredictable. These factors could impact the profitability of

It is also possible that our containers could be involved in a terrorist attack. Although our lease agreements typically require our customers to indemnify us against all damages and liabilities arising out of the use of our containers and we carry insurance to potentially offset any costs in the event that our customer indemnifications prove to be insufficient, our insurance does not cover certain types of terrorist attacks. We may also experience reputational harm from a terrorist attack in which one of our containers is involved.

We use substantial amounts of debt to fund our operations, particularly our purchase of equipment. As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding indebtedness of approximately $7,518.3 million under our debt facilities.

Our substantial amount of debt could have important consequences for investors, including:

We may also incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. To the extent that new indebtedness is added to current debt levels, the risks described above would increase.

During difficult market environments, lenders to the container leasing industry may become more cautious, decreasing our sources of available debt financing and increasing our borrowing costs. In addition, we are the largest container leasing exposure for many of our lenders, and the amount of incremental loans available from our existing lenders may become constrained due to single-name credit limitations. If we cannot refinance our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets, seeking additional capital or reducing or delaying future capital expenditures or other business investments, which could have a material adverse impact on our growth rate, profitability, preference share price and cash flows.

Our credit facilities and other indebtedness impose, and the terms of any future indebtedness may impose, significant operating, financial and other restrictions on us and our subsidiaries. These restrictions may limit or prohibit, among other things, our ability to:

These restrictions could adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs and pursue available business opportunities. In addition, certain agreements governing our indebtedness contain financial maintenance covenants that require us to satisfy certain ratios such as maximum leverage and minimum interest coverage. A breach of any of the above restrictions or financial covenants could result in an event of default in respect of the related indebtedness. If a default occurs, the relevant lenders could elect to declare the indebtedness to be immediately due and payable and proceed against any collateral securing that indebtedness.

Maintaining our credit ratings depends on our financial results and on other factors, including the outlook of the rating agencies on our sector and on the debt capital markets generally. A credit rating downgrade or being placed on negative watch may make it more difficult or costly for us to raise debt financing, resulting in a negative impact on our liquidity and financial results.

The interest rates on our debt financings have several components, including credit spreads and underlying benchmark rates. Given our substantial indebtedness, an increase in our interest rates for any reason can have a substantial negative effect on our profitability and cash flow.

Our lease rental stream is generally fixed over the life of our leases. We employ various hedging strategies to attempt to match the duration of our leases and fixed interest rates. Our hedging strategies rely considerably on assumptions and projections regarding our assets and lease portfolio as well as general market factors. If any of these assumptions or projections prove to be incorrect or our hedges do not adequately mitigate the impact of changes in interest rates, we may experience volatility in our earnings that could adversely affect our profitability and financial condition.

Our strategy of attempting to match the duration of our leases and interest rates also typically means that the average duration of our fixed interest rate debt is shorter than the average remaining duration of our container fleet. As a result, our profitability will decrease if our interest rates increase in the future and we are unable to pass along the cost of this increase in lease extension or re-lease transactions.

Furthermore, the benchmark rate underlying certain of our credit facilities is different than the benchmark rate underlying a significant portion of our derivative instruments, which misalignment could have an adverse effect on the success of our hedging strategies. In anticipation of the phase out of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") benchmark interest rate in 2023, we amended certain of our credit facilities to transition their pricing from LIBOR to Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("term SOFR"). Additionally, effective July 1, 2023, our derivative instruments utilizing LIBOR transitioned to daily Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Daily SOFR”) as the alternative reference rate per the ISDA 2020 IBOR fallbacks protocol. Due to the fact that the interest rates under certain of our credit facilities are based on term SOFR while a significant portion of our interest rate swap agreements are indexed to Daily SOFR, our interest rate hedging strategies may not work as planned or be as successful as they would have been if certain of our credit facilities and swap agreements were indexed to the same benchmark.

In addition, we may not be able to find market participants that are willing to act as our hedging counterparties on acceptable terms or at all, which could have an adverse effect on the success of our hedging strategies.

The efficient operation of our business is highly dependent on our information technology systems, including our transaction tracking and billing systems and our customer interface systems. These systems allow our customers to view current inventory and check contractual terms in effect for their container lease agreements. These systems also process and track transactions, such as container pick-ups, drop-offs and repairs, and bill customers for the use of and damage to our

In addition, we rely on our financial systems and the integration of our financial and operating systems to provide timely and accurate financial reports on our business. A system failure leading to inaccurate or delayed financial reporting could have serious adverse consequences including the ability to manage our business, comply with our credit agreements, file our financial statements or meet our other legal and tax compliance obligations.

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store confidential and sensitive data on our systems, including our proprietary business information and that of our customers and suppliers, and personally identifiable information of our employees and third parties. The secure storage, processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations. Increased global cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted cybersecurity attacks, including social engineering threats, pose a potentially significant risk to the security of our information technology systems, as well as the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data and the confidential data of our employees, customers, suppliers and other third parties that we may hold. Despite the security measures we employ as a component of our information security program, our information technology systems may be vulnerable to cyber attacks, breaches or other failures due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such incidents could compromise these systems and the information stored therein could be accessed, modified, publicly disclosed and/or lost or stolen. Any such incident could result in substantial remediation costs, legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, disruption to our operations, damage to our reputation and/or loss of competitive position.

Although trade and transportation activity is regulated in most major economies, international container leasing companies have historically not been heavily impacted by regulations since containers have typically been viewed as international assets. However, periods of significant supply chain disruptions and increased transportation costs, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in increased scrutiny and regulation of the ocean shipping sector in various jurisdictions, including the United States. We could incur increased costs and operational complexity as a result of future regulations impacting our or our customers’ business and operations.

We also may become subject to regulations seeking to protect the integrity of international commerce and prevent the use of containers for international terrorism or other illicit activities or to set increased safety standards. For example, the Container Safety Initiative, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Operation Safe Commerce are among the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that are designed to enhance security for containerized cargo entering and leaving the United States. Moreover, the International Convention for Safe Containers applies to containers and seeks to maintain a high level of safety of human life in the transport and handling of containers by providing uniform international safety regulations. As these regulations develop and change, we may incur increased costs for the acquisition of new, compliant equipment and/or the adaptation of existing equipment to meet any new requirements imposed by such regulations. Additionally, future development of products designed to enhance the security of containers transported in international commerce may result in increased costs associated with the adoption of these products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

There is no internationally recognized system for recording or filing to evidence our title to containers nor is there an internationally recognized system for filing security interests in containers. Although this has not occurred to date, the lack of

Due to the international scope of our operations, we are subject to a numerous laws and regulations, including economic sanctions, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, import and export and similar laws. Recent years have seen a substantial increase in the enforcement of many of these laws in the United States and other countries. Any failure or perceived failure to comply with existing or new laws and regulations may subject us to significant fines, penalties, criminal and civil lawsuits, forfeiture of significant assets, and other enforcement actions in one or more jurisdictions, result in significant additional compliance requirements and costs, increase regulatory scrutiny of our business, result in the loss of customers, restrict our operations and limit our ability to grow our business, adversely affect our results of operations, and harm our reputation.

We are subject to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing the discharge of pollutants to air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated sites. We could incur substantial costs, including cleanup costs, fines and third-party claims for property damage and personal injury, as a result of violations of or liabilities under environmental laws and regulations in connection with our or our lessees’ current or historical operations. Under some environmental laws in the United States and certain other countries, the owner of a leased container may be liable for environmental damage, cleanup or other costs in the event of a spill or discharge of material from a container without regard to the owner's fault. Our insurance coverage and any indemnities provided by our lessees may be insufficient to compensate us for losses arising from environmental damage.

Changes in laws and regulations, or actions by authorities under existing laws or regulations, to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change could negatively impact our and our customers’ business. For example, restrictions on emissions could significantly increase costs for our customers whose operations require significant amounts of energy. Customers’ increased costs could reduce their demand to lease our assets. Additionally, many countries, including the United States, restrict, prohibit or otherwise regulate the use of chemical refrigerants due to their ozone depleting and global warming effects. Our refrigerated containers currently use various refrigerants. Manufacturers of cooling machines for refrigerated containers have begun selling units that utilize alternative and natural refrigerants, that may have less global warming potential than current refrigerants. If future regulations prohibit the use or servicing of containers using current refrigerants, we could be forced to incur large retrofitting expenses. In addition, refrigerated containers that are not retrofitted may become difficult to lease, command lower rental rates and disposal prices, or may have to be scrapped.

Also, historically, the foam insulation in the walls of refrigerated intermodal containers required the use of a blowing agent that contained chlorofluorocarbons ("CFCs"). The manufacturers producing our refrigerated containers have eliminated the use of this blowing agent in the manufacturing process, but the majority of our refrigerated containers manufactured prior to 2014 contain these CFCs. Failure to comply with applicable regulatory restrictions on the sale or disposal of these containers could subject us to associated fines and penalties. Also, if future international regulations change, we could be forced to incur large retrofitting expenses and those containers that are not retrofitted may become more difficult to lease and command lower rental rates and disposal prices. As laws and regulations addressing climate change and other environmental impacts are enacted, interpreted and enforced, we and our customers may be required to incur substantial compliance costs to meet the requirements imposed by these regulations. Potential consequences of changes in these laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and cash flows.

We are a Bermuda company, and based on current laws we believe that the income derived from our operations will not be subject to tax in Bermuda. Bermuda currently has no corporate income tax. However, Bermuda passed legislation on December 8, 2023 to implement a 15% corporate income tax effective January 1, 2025. Based on our understanding of the legislation as it applies to the Company and its Bermuda subsidiaries, we do not believe we will be subject to the corporate income tax. This belief is based on our understanding of the current tax law as it applies to our current financial reporting structure. A change in law or to our financial reporting structure could adversely impact the applicability of the Bermuda corporate income tax.

We further believe that a significant portion of the income derived from our operations will not be subject to tax in many other countries in which our customers or containers are located. However, this belief is also based on our understanding of the current tax laws of the countries in which our customers use containers. The tax positions we take in various jurisdictions are subject to review and possible challenge by taxing authorities and to possible changes in law or rates that may have retroactive and prospective effects.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) has coordinated a global effort to reform certain aspects of the international tax system. This effort included the December 2021 release of model rules for a 15% global minimum tax regime, commonly known as Pillar Two. Numerous jurisdictions have enacted or are in the process of enacting legislation to implement all or part of the Pillar Two model rules, with certain parts of the tax becoming effective January 1, 2024. As a result of the implementation of the Pillar Two global minimum tax, a material increase to our annual global income tax expense and our annual global income tax payments may occur as soon as 2024. Further implementation of these rules and related guidance are expected and could materially change the impact on our tax provision and results of operations. If the Pillar Two rules are adopted in any jurisdiction where we operate, the profits earned in Bermuda may be subject to taxation up to the minimum tax rate of 15% which would be expected to result in additional annual cash taxes and an increase to the Company's consolidated effective tax rate.

Related to the OECD efforts to reform certain aspects of the international tax system, Bermuda implemented the Economic Substance Act 2018 which requires affected Bermuda registered companies to maintain a substantial economic presence in Bermuda. This legislation and/or other OECD efforts could require us to incur substantial additional costs to maintain compliance, result in the imposition of significant penalties, create additional tax liabilities globally, and possibly require us to re-domicile our company or any Bermuda subsidiary to a jurisdiction with higher tax rates. Our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if we become subject to these or other unanticipated tax liabilities.

We are a Bermuda company, however, a significant portion of our operations is subject to taxation in the U.S. Our U.S. subsidiaries record tax provisions in their financial statements based on current tax rates. If there was an increase in the tax rate due to changes in enacted tax laws, our tax provision and effective tax rate would increase and our results of operations would be negatively impacted.

Certain of these subsidiaries historically did not pay any meaningful U.S. income taxes primarily due to the benefit they received from accelerated tax depreciation of their container investments. However, the long duration of recent leases has limited the accelerated tax depreciation benefits of container investments, and as a result, we have limited the container investments made by the U.S. subsidiaries. Additionally, beginning in 2022, our U.S. subsidiaries' net interest expense deduction has become limited to 30% of its current year taxable income before net interest expense.

This reduced investment in containers by the U.S. subsidiaries, coupled with interest expense deduction limitations, has resulted in an increase in cash tax payments in recent years. Any future change in rules governing the tax depreciation for these U.S. subsidiaries' containers could further reduce or eliminate this tax benefit and further increase the U.S. subsidiaries' cash tax payments.

Based upon the nature of our business activities, we may be classified as a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such characterization could result in adverse U.S. tax consequences for direct or indirect U.S. investors in our preference shares. For example, if we are a PFIC, our U.S. investors could become subject to increased tax liabilities under U.S. tax laws and regulations and could become subject to burdensome reporting requirements. The determination of whether or not we are a PFIC is made on an annual basis and depends on the composition of our income and assets from time to time. Specifically, for any taxable year, we will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. tax purposes if either:

Following the Merger, an affiliate of Brookfield Infrastructure owns all of the Company’s outstanding common shares and Brookfield Infrastructure has the ability to appoint the members of our Board of Directors ("Board".) As a result, Brookfield Infrastructure has significant influence over our business. The interests of Brookfield Infrastructure may differ from those of holders of our outstanding indebtedness and preference shares in material respects. For example, Brookfield Infrastructure may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures, financings or other transactions that, in their judgment, could enhance their overall equity investment, even though such transactions might involve risks to holders of our outstanding indebtedness or preference shares. Brookfield Infrastructure is in the business of making investments in companies, and may from time to time in the future, acquire interests in businesses that directly or indirectly compete with certain portions of our business or are our suppliers or customers. The companies in which Brookfield Infrastructure invests may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

Following the Merger, our common shares were delisted from the NYSE and only our preference shares remain listed on the NYSE. As a result, certain of the listing rules, corporate governance requirements and provisions of the Exchange Act are no longer applicable to us. These include, for example, the requirements that:

The trading price of our preference shares has been and may remain volatile. Factors affecting the trading price of our preference shares may include:

In addition, if the market for intermodal equipment leasing company securities or the stock market in general experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our preference shares could decline for reasons unrelated to our business or financial results. The trading price of our preference shares might also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry even if these events do not directly affect us.

We are incorporated under the laws of Bermuda and a significant portion of our assets are located outside the United States. Additionally, several of our directors and officers are non-residents of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service of process on those persons in the United States or enforce court judgments obtained in the United States against us or those persons, based on the civil liability provisions of the federal or state securities laws of the United States. It is uncertain whether the courts of Bermuda and other countries would recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our officers or directors based on the civil liability provisions of the federal or state securities laws of the United States or would hear actions against us or those persons based on those laws. We have been advised by our legal advisors in Bermuda that the United States and Bermuda do not currently have a treaty providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Therefore, a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not based solely on United States federal or state securities laws, would not automatically be enforceable in Bermuda. Similarly, those judgments may not be enforceable in countries, other than the United States, where we have assets.

Additionally, our shareholders might have more difficulty protecting their interests than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction of the United States. As a Bermuda company, we are governed by the Bermuda Companies Act. The Bermuda Companies Act differs in some material respects from laws generally applicable to United States corporations and shareholders, including the provisions relating to interested directors, mergers, amalgamations and acquisitions, takeovers, shareholder lawsuits and indemnification of directors.

As of September 28, 2023, the Company’s common shares ceased trading on the NYSE and are no longer publicly traded either on a stock exchange or over-the-counter market.

As of February 8, 2024, 100% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common shares are privately held by an affiliate of Brookfield Infrastructure.

Triton is the world's largest lessor of intermodal containers. Intermodal containers are large, standardized steel boxes used to transport freight by ship, rail or truck. Because of the handling efficiencies they provide, intermodal containers are the primary means by which many goods and materials are shipped internationally. We also lease chassis, which are used for the transportation of containers.

We operate our business in one industry, intermodal transportation equipment, and have two business segments, which also represent our reporting segments:

Our consolidated operations include the acquisition, leasing, re-leasing and subsequent sale of multiple types of intermodal containers and chassis. As of December 31, 2023, our total fleet consisted of 4.0 million containers and chassis, representing 6.9 million TEU or 7.6 million CEU. We have an extensive global presence, offering leasing services through a worldwide network of local offices, and we utilize third-party container depots spread across over 46 countries to provide customers global access to our container fleet. Our primary customers include the world's largest container shipping lines.

The most important driver of profitability in our business is the extent to which leasing revenues, which are driven by our owned equipment fleet size, utilization and average lease rates, exceed our ownership and operating costs. Our profitability is also driven by the gains or losses we realize on the sale of used containers and the margins generated from trading new and used containers.

We lease five types of equipment: dry containers, refrigerated containers, special containers, tank containers, and chassis. Our in-house equipment sales group manages the sale process for our used containers and chassis from our equipment leasing fleet and sells used and new containers and chassis acquired from third parties.

TEU and CEU are standard industry measures of fleet size and are used to measure the quantity of containers that make up our revenue earning assets. CEU is a ratio used to convert the actual number of containers in our fleet to a figure based on an estimate for the historical average relative purchase prices of our various equipment types to that of a 20-foot dry container. For example, the CEU ratio for a 40-foot high cube dry container is 1.70, and a 40-foot high cube refrigerated container is 7.50. These factors may differ slightly from CEU ratios used by others in the industry.

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows provided by operating activities, proceeds from the sale of our leasing equipment, borrowings under our credit facilities and proceeds from other financing activities. Our principal uses of cash include capital expenditures, debt service, and dividends.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by operating activities, together with the proceeds from the sale of our leasing equipment, was $1,502.8 million. In addition, as of December 31, 2023 we had $57.8 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $1,955.0 million of borrowing capacity remaining under our existing credit facilities.

We believe that cash provided by operating activities, existing cash, proceeds from the sale of our leasing equipment, and availability under our credit facilities will be sufficient to meet our obligations over the next twelve months and beyond.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company paid dividends on preference shares of $52.1 million and paid dividends on common shares of $115.6 million. The Company also made a distribution to Parent of $408.2 million to partially fund the purchase price of the acquisition and pay transaction costs related to the Merger.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased a total of 1,884,616 common shares at an average price per share of $66.66 for a total cost of $125.7 million under its share repurchase program. On September 28, 2023, in connection with the Merger, all previously issued and outstanding common shares of Triton were cancelled. Following the closing of the Merger, 100% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares are privately held by an affiliate of Brookfield Infrastructure.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company entered into swaps with a notional value of $250.0 million that commenced on December 29, 2023 and have a termination date of December 31, 2033. These swaps were designated as cash flow hedges to fix the interest rates on a portion of the Company's floating rate debt.

During the third quarter of 2023, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Triton Container International Limited and TAL International Container Corporation (the “Borrowers”), amended Triton’s term loan facility to increase the size of the accordion feature under the term loan agreement to allow the Borrowers to increase the aggregate commitment amount under the agreement by up to an additional $500.0 million. Concurrently with the closing of the amendment, the Borrowers exercised the accordion and increased the borrowing under the term loan facility by $500.0 million. There was no change to the maturity date or reference rate under the term loan facility as a result of the amendment and incremental borrowing.

In August 2023, the Company’s $600.0 million, 0.80% senior notes matured. Payment at maturity was primarily funded by borrowings under Triton’s revolving credit facility. Additionally, three forward starting swaps with a total notional value of $300.0 million became effective on August 1, 2023, to offset a portion of the interest expense related to the borrowing under the revolving credit facility.

In the first quarter of 2023, the Company entered into forward starting swaps with a notional value of $300.0 million that commenced on August 1, 2023 and have a termination date of March 31, 2025. These swaps were designated as cash flow hedges to fix the interest rates on a portion of the Company's floating rate debt.

We may, from time to time, seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for debt, in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, may be funded from operating cash flows or other sources, will be on such terms and at prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Our investment-grade corporate and long-term debt credit ratings enable us to lower our cost of funds and broaden our access to attractively priced capital. While a ratings downgrade, on its own, would not result in a default under any of our debt agreements, it could adversely affect our ability to issue debt and obtain new financings, or renew existing financings, and it would increase the cost of our financings. Additionally, under the terms of our senior notes and preference shares, certain ratings downgrades following the occurrence of a change of control, as more fully described in the relevant agreements governing those instruments, could give holders of those instruments certain redemption or conversion rights. The Company's long-term debt and corporate rating of BBB- from Fitch Ratings remained unchanged while S&P Global Ratings upgraded our ratings from BBB- to BBB in the third quarter of 2023, after the completion of the Merger.

The maximum borrowing levels depicted in the table above may not reflect the actual availability under all of the credit facilities. Certain of these facilities are governed by either borrowing bases or an unencumbered asset test that limits borrowing capacity. Based on those limitations, the availability under these credit facilities at December 31, 2023 was approximately $1,148.7 million.

As of December 31, 2023, we had a combined $6,726.8 million of total debt on facilities with fixed interest rates or floating interest rates that have been synthetically fixed through interest rate swap contracts. This accounts for 89% of total debt.

We are subject to certain financial covenants related to leverage and interest coverage as defined in our debt agreements. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default under the related credit agreements and the acceleration of our outstanding debt if we were unable to obtain a waiver from the creditors. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all such covenants.

The following table sets forth certain cash flow information for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $734.7 million to $1,150.2 million in 2023, compared to $1,884.9 million in 2022. The decrease is primarily due to lower profitability in the current period of $308.7 million which includes $52.0 million paid for transaction costs. In addition, there was a $361.6 million decrease in the change in deferred revenue. In the prior year, we received several lease prepayments for which we deferred revenue recognition compared to the amortization of these prepayments in the current year. We also had a $63.4 million decrease in the change in accounts receivable due to the timing of payments.

The following table summarizes our comparative results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

Per diem revenues were $1,371.0 million in 2023 compared to $1,505.4 million in 2022, a decrease of $134.4 million. The primary reasons for the decrease were as follows:

Fee and ancillary lease revenues were $67.5 million in 2023 compared to $59.1 million in 2022, an increase of $8.4 million, primarily due to a $17.9 million increase in repair and handling revenue due to a higher volume of redeliveries; partially offset by a $10.3 million decrease in fee revenue due to lower pick up activity.

Finance lease revenues were $105.3 million in 2023 compared to $115.2 million in 2022, a decrease of $9.9 million. This decrease was primarily due to the early buyout of containers under finance lease in the fourth quarter of 2022 and second quarter of 2023.

Our leasing segment is discussed in our results of operations comparisons and the trading segment is discussed in the trading margin comparison within the results of operations comparisons.

We are party to various operating and finance leases and are obligated to make payments related to our borrowings. We are also obligated under various commercial commitments, including payment obligations to our equipment manufacturers.

The following table summarizes our contractual commitments and obligations as of December 31, 2023 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods:

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We purchase new equipment from manufacturers for the purpose of leasing to customers. We also purchase used equipment with the intention of selling in one or more years from the date of purchase.

Leasing equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated to a residual amount for each equipment type on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life. Capitalized costs for new equipment include the manufactured cost of the equipment, inspection, delivery, and associated costs incurred in moving the equipment from the manufacturer to the initial on-hire location. Repair and maintenance costs that do not extend the lives of the leasing equipment are charged to direct operating expenses at the time the costs are incurred.

The estimated useful lives and residual values of our leasing equipment are based on our expectations of how long we will lease the equipment and used container sales prices at the time we expect to sell the equipment. We evaluate estimates used in our depreciation policies on a regular basis to determine whether changes, such as industry events, technological advances or changes in standardization for containers have taken place that would suggest that a change in our depreciation estimates for useful lives or residual values is warranted. Our evaluation utilizes over fifteen years of historical sales experience for each major equipment type which takes into consideration varying business cycles including unusually high and low markets. Any changes to depreciation estimates are applied prospectively. Due to the size of the depreciable fleet a change in residual values could result in either large increases or decreases to annual depreciation expense depending on the direction of the change in residual values. For 2023, we completed the annual review of depreciable lives and residual values during the fourth quarter and concluded no change was necessary.

The estimated useful life for each major equipment type for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was 13 years for Dry containers; 12 years for Refrigerated containers; 16 years for Special containers; and 20 years for Tank containers and Chassis.

Depreciation on leasing equipment commences on the date of initial on-hire.

For equipment purchased for resale that may be leased for a period of time, we adjust our estimates for remaining useful life and residual values based on our expectations for how long the equipment will remain on-hire to the current lessee and the expected sales market for older containers when these units are redelivered.

Leasing equipment is evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. Recoverability of an asset to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying value to its estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying value of an asset exceeds our estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Key indicators of impairment on leasing equipment include, among other factors, a sustained decrease in operating profitability, a sustained decrease in utilization, or indications of technological obsolescence.

When testing for impairment, leasing equipment is generally grouped by equipment type, and is tested separately from other groups of assets and liabilities. Some of the significant estimates and assumptions used to determine future undiscounted cash flows and the measurement for impairment are the remaining useful life, expected utilization, expected future lease rates and expected disposal prices of the equipment. We consider the assumptions on expected utilization and the remaining useful life to have the greatest impact on the estimate of future undiscounted cash flows. These estimates are principally based on our historical experience and management's judgment of market conditions at the time the calculations are prepared.

There were no key indicators of impairment and we did not record any impairment charges related to leasing equipment for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

When leasing equipment is returned off lease, we make a determination of whether to repair and re-lease the equipment or sell the equipment. At the time we determine that equipment will be sold, we reclassify the carrying value of leasing equipment to equipment held for sale. Equipment held for sale is recorded at the lower of its estimated fair value, less costs to sell, or carrying value at the time identified for sale. Depreciation expense on equipment held for sale is halted and disposals generally occur within 90 days. Initial write downs of equipment held for sale to fair value are recorded as an impairment charge and are included in Net gain on sale of leasing equipment. Subsequent increases or decreases to the fair value of those assets are recorded as adjustments to the carrying value of the equipment held for sale, however, any such adjustments may not exceed the respective equipment's carrying value at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Realized gains and losses resulting from the sale of equipment held for sale are recorded in Net gain on sale of leasing equipment, and cash flows associated with the disposal of equipment held for sale are classified as cash flows from investing activities.

Equipment purchased for our equipment trading segment is also included in Equipment held for sale. Gains and losses resulting from the sale of this equipment is recorded in Trading margin, and cash flows associated with the purchase and sale of this equipment are classified as cash flows from operating activities.

During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded the following net gains or losses on equipment held for sale on the Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands):

We determine the classification of a lease at its inception as either operating leases or finance leases. If the provisions of the lease change after lease inception, other than by renewal or extension, we evaluate whether that change may have resulted in a different lease classification had the change been in effect at inception. If so, the revised agreement is considered a new lease for lease classification purposes. The classification of the lease as either an operating lease or finance lease will impact revenue recognition.

The Company enters into long-term leases and service leases, principally as lessor in operating leases, for intermodal equipment. Long-term leases provide customers with specified equipment for a specified term. The Company's leasing revenues are based upon the number of equipment units leased, the applicable per diem rate and the length of the lease. Long-term leases typically have initial contractual terms ranging from five to eight or more years. Revenues are recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the respective lease. Revenue from advance billings are deferred and recognized in the period earned. Service leases do not specify the exact number of equipment units to be leased or the term that each unit will remain on-hire, but allow the lessee to pick-up and drop-off units at various locations specified in the lease agreement. Under a service lease, rental revenue is based on the number of equipment units on-hire for a given period. Revenue from customers considered to be non-performing is deferred and recognized when the amounts are received.

The Company recognizes billings to customers for damages and certain other operating costs as leasing revenue when earned based on the terms of the contractual agreements with the customer.

The Company enters into finance leases as lessor for some of the equipment in its fleet. At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total future minimum lease payments plus the estimated residual value, net of executory costs, if any. Cash deposits reduce the gross finance lease receivable and are recorded on the statement of cash flows as deferred revenue within operating activities. The net investment in finance leases represents the receivables due from lessees, net of unearned income and amounts previously billed. As amounts are billed to a customer they are reclassified from gross finance lease

Equipment trading revenues represent the proceeds from the sale of equipment purchased for resale and are recognized when units are sold. Equipment trading expenses represent the cost of equipment sold including selling costs that are recognized as incurred.

Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually on October 31 of each fiscal year or more frequently if events occur or circumstances exist that indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value. Goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units, which are the same as our reporting segments.

In evaluating goodwill for impairment, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. Among the relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value of reporting units, we consider individual factors such as macroeconomic conditions, changes in our industry and the markets in which we operate, as well as our reporting units' historical and expected future financial performance. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, we determine it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than our carrying amount, then a quantitative goodwill impairment test is performed. The quantitative goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with our carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit is less than its fair value, no impairment exists. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

We elected to perform the qualitative assessment for our evaluation of goodwill impairment during the year ended December 31, 2023 and concluded there was no impairment. We have not recorded any impairment charges related to goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Market risk is the risk of loss to future earnings, values or cash flows that may result from changes in the price of a financial instrument. The fair value of a financial instrument, derivative or non-derivative, might change as a result of changes in interest rates, exchange rates, commodity prices, equity prices and other market changes. We have operations internationally and we are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. These risks include interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate risks.

We enter into derivative agreements to fix the interest rates on a portion of our floating-rate debt. We assess and manage the external and internal risk associated with these derivative instruments in accordance with our overall operating goals. External risk is defined as those risks outside of our direct control, including counterparty credit risk, liquidity risk, systemic risk and legal risk. Internal risk relates to those operational risks within the management oversight structure and include actions taken in contravention of our policies.

The primary external risk of our derivative agreements is counterparty credit exposure, which is defined as the ability of a counterparty to perform its financial obligations under the agreement. All of our derivative agreements are with highly-rated financial institutions. Credit exposures are measured based on counterparty credit risks and the market value of outstanding derivative instruments.

As of December 31, 2023, we had derivative agreements in place to fix interest rates on a portion of our borrowings under debt facilities with floating interest rates as summarized below:

Our derivative agreements are designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes. Any unrealized gains or losses related to the changes in fair value are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income and reclassified to interest and debt expense as they are realized. As of December 31, 2023, we have certain interest rate cap agreements that are non-designated derivatives and changes in fair value are recognized as unrealized (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Approximately 89% of our debt is either fixed or hedged using derivative instruments which helps mitigate the impact of changes in short-term interest rates. A 100 basis point increase in the interest rates on our unhedged debt (Term SOFR) would result in an increase of approximately $7.6 million in interest expense over the next 12 months.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, net foreign currency exchange gains were $0.4 million and for the year ended December 31, 2022, net foreign currency exchange losses were $2.0 million.

The Consolidated Financial Statements listed under Item 15—Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules are filed as a part of this Item 8.

We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based upon management's evaluation of these disclosure controls and procedures, our Chief Executive Officer and our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer concluded, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the three months ended December 31, 2023 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.